CHICAGO – An Evergreen Park man who allegedly lost control of his firearm during a fight outside a West Town bar earlier this month has some problems. First, the man who gained control of Joshua Cervantes’ firearm shot Cervantes with it. Second, prosecutors now accuse Cervantes of illegally possessing the gun.
Cervantes remains hospitalized as he recovers from gunshot wounds he suffered during the fight outside Rite Liquors, 1649 West Division, around 1:48 a.m. on Oct. 6.
According to Chicago police reports filed by prosecutors, surveillance video showed Cervantes leaving Rite Liquors with three “unknown trespassers.” According to reports, Cervantes got into a physical altercation with the men on the sidewalk, and video showed him losing possession of a firearm during the altercation.
The video also shows one of his three opponents using Cervantes’ gun to shoot Cervantes in the abdomen, severely wounding him. The trio fled with Cervantes’ gun, police said. Cervantes is the only person involved in the incident so far.
Court records show he was convicted of attempted murder in 2009, a crime for which he went to prison for seven years. He received a five-year prison sentence for being a felon in possession of a firearm in 2016.
Now he is charged with a class X felony, being an armed habitual criminal. He will remain in custody at least until he appears in court for a detention hearing after being released from hospital.
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